Climate & Energy Blog

Friends of the Earth statement on a bill to set a price on carbon

Posted May. 30, 2014 / Posted by: Kate Colwell

Washington, D.C. – Representative Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) introduced H.R. 4754, the Managed Carbon Price Act of 2014. The bill would require the U.S. Government to set a price, which would increase over time, on the emission of greenhouse gases. It would require domestic polluting industries and importers of carbon-intensive goods to purchase permits that could not be traded or sold. The bill also would establish a long-term goal of reducing emissions by 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2059.

Friends of the Earth Climate and energy campaigner Kate DeAngelis issued the following statement about the bill’s introduction:

For too long, fossil fuel companies have not been held financially responsible for poisoning our air and water. A carbon price forces polluters to reconsider how they extract and burn fossil fuels and to innovate more efficient and less carbon-intensive technologies.

Putting a robust price on carbon is an important step towards achieving the emission reductions we need to avoid climate disruption. Representative McDermott’s bill would require these companies to pay for some of the damages they cause to the environment and health of the American people. We look forward to working with Representative McDermott to pass legislation that will put a meaningful price on carbon pollution.